After I read this stat and started getting some traction from social media for my brand, I decided it was time to start taking social serious.

In my experience with using social media networks, there’s one thing important thing that I learned:

Great social media profiles are essential to establishing your brand and boosting credibility on the web…

If you are reading this post, then chances are, you’re currently one of two people:

You’re a new small business owner that wants to create a presence on the web for your business + use social media networks to promote and market your business… or…

You’re already active on social media platforms but want to find more ways to stand out from others competing in your space.

Either way, this article will uncover 10 actions you can take to look more professional on social media networks.

The Importance of Looking Professional on Social Media

You ever hear of the term “first impressions are lasting impressions”?

Well….

Your social media profiles are no exception.

For example:

Let’s say that someone connected with you via your social media channels and they wanted to get to know more about your business.

So…

They scurried over to your Twitter profile to start looking around and saw the dreaded “Egg” picture, with a profile filled with meaningless Hashtags and nothing else.

Do you think that this is going to make a good first impression on them?

Prolly not right?

What I’ve learned from using social media for my biz is that people want to connect with people and that you want to make sure that you add a personable touch to your profiles and make a “human” connection with your peeps.

I Used to Think that Using Social Media for My Biz Was a WASTE of Time…..

Yep….

Its true! I didnt put much stock into social media for marketing purposes yall..(just keeping it real here).

1. Add your name

Ss in your first and last name to all of your profiles.

You don’t want to add any nicknames (BookyBear or HotChick81) — that does not read professional at all. Besides, adding your name to your social media profiles makes it easier for people looking for you to find you.

>>> Your Action Item: Add the name that you want to be found under to all of your social media profiles

2. Add a professional photo of yourself.

As stated initially, my guess is that you are planning to use social media for your small business.

As such, it would behoove you to add a professional photo of yourself to all of your profiles.

Why?

Well for several reasons: brand consistency and also for brand recognition.

Besides, think of this way: if a business associate or a potential client were to view your photo, would they be turned off or would they want to learn more about your business?

The picture below is the one that I use for all of my social media profiles….

>>> Your action Item: Get a professional photo taken and add to all of your social media profiles

3. Create a username that accurately represents your brand.

Your username should be closely tied to your brand /small business name.

This makes it easy for people to find you under your business name — in case they are not able to locate you by name.

You should also use the same username or variation of that username on all of your social media profiles — again for brand consistency.

As an example:

My brand is YourChicGeek

On all of my social profiles, there is some variation of YourChicGeek added:

Twitter — YourChicGeek81Instagram — YourChicGeek

>> Your action item: Create a username tied to your brand and add it to all of your social media networks

4. Add a brand statement to your social media profiles + use it consistently.

I have to be honest here, I didn’t fully understand the importance of creating a consistent brand statement on all of my active social media profiles, but now I do.

Your brand statement or mini bio just simply states what you do and who you do it for.

>> Your Action Item: Create a brand statement/tagline that describes what you do and who you do it for. Add it to all of your social media profiles.

5. Create branded social media profile covers.

Again, for brand consistency and a professional and polished look online, it is a good idea to invest in having professional covers created for your social media profiles.

If you don’t have a ton of money to spend or any graphic design experience, you can use a free resource like Canva or enlist the graphic design expertise from designers on Fiverr to create your covers for your business.

Marie Forleo’s Facebook profile is an example of a well branded and well designed one:

Kim

Kim, YourChicGeek is a tech savvy diva + founder of YourChicGeek.com. She is passionate about teaching small biz's how to go from unnoticed to unstoppable online using tech and digital marketing. Kim has created several online courses and DIY trainings in the Blazing Branding Academy that help small businesses flourish online. You can contact Kim to hop on a quick 15 minute call to chat about your digital marketing goals.

Hey there and Welcome to the Site!

Hello there! I am Kim George, YourChicGeek and I'm here to help you go from Unnoticed to Unstoppable on the web with make TECH and digital marketing. Let's Get To It!